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| How do I get rid of fleas on my cat? |
What is the fastest way to get rid of fleas on a cat?
Self-sufficient as they might seem to be, our wonderful feline friends cannot do it all on their own, and this also includes warding off those nasty little villains, the dreaded flea. With cats being just too easily affected by certain essential oils, along with the issue of licking themselves quite a bit, makes flea repellents of the DIY type for cats quite a bit more involved than it would be for canines. A good amount of the natural techniques deal with preventative actions (washing bedding, vacuuming, etc.) although there happens to be a few methods that you can take action immediately with.
1. Making a "flea comb":
This method is very much the same as the flea comb for canines, and while many cats might not like the smell of citrus, the way this mixture is prepared can decrease the powerful scent to the cat’s nose which is pretty sensitive (not as much to a flea) because you aren’t using lemon juice straight. Fleas really dislike the overpowering lemon scent, and it helps ward them off.
Mixing the lemon with a flea comb:
You can use a normal comb, but the very fine toothed combs being sold in markets are ideal, it typically does a much better job. You clear the fleas out using the comb, while leaving behind a remaining smell of the lemon that will really prevent the fleas from returning. Read also: How to treat ringworm in cats.
List of items to use:
- Small pot.
- Water – 3 cups.
- Spray bottle.
- Flea comb or fine-toothed comb.
- Two or three fresh lemons.
Instructions:
Pour the three cups of water inside of the pot and then add in three sliced lemons to the mix. Now bring this mixture to a nice hot boil, next you will remove the pan from hot stove before allowing the lemons to steep inside the water for approximately three hours or so. When the 3 hours are up, remove lemons and pieces of lemons from water using a strainer, pour the remaining liquid into a spray bottle. You will then go about lightly misting your cat with the liquid lemon solution while stroking along their fur using the comb.
As a slightly alternative method you can pour the liquid lemon solution into a good sized bowl and proceed to dip your comb right into the liquid, while combing through your cat’s fur. Consider doing this at least two times a day. If you prefer, you may also consider misting down the cat’s bed, that’s if they do not mind the scent of course. Take note, if your kitty thinks the scent of lemon is undesirable, you will then have to resort to trying something different. As a person, you definitely would not want to have to live smothered in a scent you don’t prefer either.
Note: It is best to use spray bottles made of glass while using acidic liquids such as vinegar and lemon juice. Avoid plastic if you can. Sometimes there can be chemicals inside the plastic that may leak into the acidic liquid. Read also: Is your cat sad? Causes and Signs of Cat Depression.
2. Spray made of apple cider vinegar:
How would you like to chew into something that had a really bad smell? You wouldn’t like it of course. A similar thing happens to be true with vinegar and fleas – even with the apple cider type of vinegar, which people tend to prefer the scent of. Using the vinegar as a spray or inside of a bath doesn’t alter the cats’ Ph. levels internally, and also is generally a great method to get rid of fleas in a natural way, and works really well on kittens.
Items to use:
- A mild form of shampoo that is OK to use on cats.
- Glass spray bottle.
- A few cups of apple cider vinegar.
Instructions:
First, fill up your glass spray bottle with the apple cider vinegar, distribute right on the cat’s fur, and let it stay on for a while. You can also give your cat a nice bath, with either only apple cider vinegar, or apple cider vinegar with a mild shampoo. If you’re only using apple cider vinegar, a healthy amount can be sprayed directly on top of your cat’s coat and allow the vinegar to stay on top of your cat for around five minutes or so before you rinse the vinegar off and then you can follow your cat’s bath by using a flea comb.
Some people like the shampoo method. If you are going to do that, use a 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 shampoo, then soap up the top of your cats head first thing, because when you put your cat inside of the bathwater, the very first thing that the fleas are going to do is flock up towards your cat’s face and head. Massage the shampoo mixture suds right into their coat very well and then let the solution soak for approximately five minutes or so, then you will rinse it out completely. Use a flea comb after the wash. If the cat does not like being inside of a bath, the spray bottle is a good alternative method. The other thing you can do is pour cups of water of the solution over your cat, rather than immersing your cat in bathwater (dipping your cat fully might be a frightening experience for the cat.) Read also: What is fip in cats?
3. Scheduled topical treatment:
Using a topical treatment for flea control on your cat is typically one of the more mainstream methods. At pet stores and vet’s offices you can find tons and tons of these types of products. Make certain you use items made for cats specifically, because certain canine items will not be OK for cats. Before starting to use any treatment topically, schedule a talk with a veterinarian and discuss which topical items will be best suited for the cat’s health and age.
4. Oral flea treatments for cats:
Signals that show there is some type of activity involving fleas can be discovered inside the coat of your cat. You might just see see flea “dirt”, which will look exactly like tiny dirt specks, but is actually waste left behind that has been developed and generated by a dinner made up of the blood of your cat.
If your cat always seems to have a level of nervousness or twitchiness, or completely stops what he/she is doing to gnaw and scratch on itself, more than likely fleas will be the cause of this type of activity. When you examine your cat’s skin and you see the jumping fleas or flea “dirt”, generally you won’t be able to improve the situation without taking some sort of action. Numbers of vets will recommend using an oral type of flea medication treatment as an immediate response to an infestation of fleas. These types of oral treatments have the possibility of providing visible results right away. In some cases, this can be an hour or less. Read also: Roundworms and flatworms, these internal parasites dangerous to cats.
Fleas have the ability to transfer from the cat to the owner within a timeframe of 15 minutes, sometimes causing agitation and itching. Tough, tiny body structures make the dreaded flea hard to smash. If you happen to find a flea that is alive, the absolute best way to ward off the flea is by dipping them in a water/soap solution.